


The Daily Grind

by celadongirl



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Canon Gay Character, Cute, Humor, M/M, Male Slash, Sassy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-28
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-01-26 22:44:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1705283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celadongirl/pseuds/celadongirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU, New York City, Present Day, Slash Pairing "Haven't you heard the phrase, 'the customer is always right'" "Haven't you heard the phrase, 'drink your coffee and mind your own business'" "Can I get a tall cup of caramel macchiato with extra whip cream and your number on the side?" Castor winked. T rating will probably become M in later chapters. NicoxCastor</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

ALCOHOL, CIGARETTES, and TOBACCO flashed on a flickering neon billboard. The light reflected across the glass of the small coffee shop, where Nico picked up the last of the remaining coffee mugs. He rubbed his tired eyes as he prepared to close up shop for the night. 2 hours of rest, then off to his 8 o’clock class. He turned off the coffee maker and pulled off his apron before shutting off the lights and locking the door.  
He silently cursed as the floor creaked when he walked through his small living room. “Could you be any louder?” Bianca mumbled from her place on the couch. She had stayed up to make sure Nico had made it home alright.  
“Shut the hell up, and go back to sleep.” Nico said as he placed a blanket across her back.  
“Yeah, yeah, you too.” With a final yawn, she re-positioned herself and fell asleep. Shaking his head, Nico walked into his room and collapsed onto his bed.  
\----------------------------------------------------  
“Bro, how come you have such a nice ass,” slurred Jake.  
“Well, I’m sexy as fuck with the body of a Greek god,” Castor responded with a wink. The group rolled their eyes at his comment as Castor proceeded to check his reflection in a store window. He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, giving it the “i just woke up fabulous” look. His sea green eyes took in his appearance, meticulously checking over every inch of himself. He rubbed his hand across the light spatter of freckles that were visible across his cheeks out of habit.  
“Who wants more booze?” called out Pollux as he tripped towards the front of the group. There was a unanimous cheer as they all stumbled down the street to the nearest bar.  
As they were walking past ‘The Daily Grind’ a figure stepped out of the doorway, with headphones jammed in his ears. He seemed to blend the shadows making him hard to see.  
As Castor teetered past, his shoulder  
collided directly into someone or something else. “Oi! Watch where you’re going!” Castor hollered.  
The figure turned around and pulled an earbud from his ear. “Sorry,” Nico mumbled, before turning around and continuing on his way.  
As the dark haired boy stalked down the opposite end of the street, Castor noticed a silver band spinning on the ground. He bent over and picked up the shiny object. “Hey! Wait! You forgot your ring!” he shouted to a now empty road.  
Where did the raven haired boy with olive skin and dark glistening eyes disappear to? The image of his leather jacket and skinny jeans was engraved into Castor’s brain.  
Jake tapped Castor on the shoulder with a challenging smirk laced upon his face. “So “Castor, old boy, didn’t you say to me just the other day that you were looking for a good lay?”  
“No, but I’ll amuse you, so sure.”  
“Well, I was just thinking, you like a challenge, and if you were to accept, you already have a head start.”  
“What are you on about.”  
“What if I were to propose a bet.”  
“I’m listening.”  
“You get that boy in bed within one week, and you will receive a reward so sweet, old Ben and Jerry will be put to shame.”  
“The ice cream brand?”  
“Not the point, what do say? Are you in?”  
“What’s the reward?”  
“Well that would just ruin the surprise, wouldn’t it? We can’t have that.”  
“You’re fucking insane, but I do love a good challenge. I accept.”  
“Sweet, have fun getting that cherry if you know what I mean. “ Castor sighed at the ridiculousness of his friend. The chances of someone as tasty as him being a virgin were slim to none.  
“Castor, I wish you the best of luck in all of your sexual endeavors. But for now, come on boys, the next bar awaits!” cheered Jake. The friends then trooped through the rest of the city to discover their next adventure.


	2. Stars in New York City

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N This story was co-written with another fabulous girl, who currently does not have an account. Anyways I do hope that you enjoyed the story so far. After the first few chapters things will really start to heat up so buckle up. Anyways all rights go to Rick Riordan (although a girl can wish right?) Have a wonderful day, evening, night or whatever!  
> Celadongirl  
> PS it would be greatly appreciated if you left kudos or a review! Thank you!!!

The following night, Nico arrived at The Daily Grind for his shift. It’s not like he wanted to be there, he had to be. It was the only job that paid enough to help fund his BA degree at Columbia for Forensic Anthropology and the rent. The music here was mediocre at best and always gave him a splitting headache. In addition to the music, the people he had to deal with always left him in a shitty mood.   
He pulled on his apron and told Malcolm, his co-worker, he could finally leave. “Thanks man. Heads up for table 6, there’s a hot blonde that has your name on it”  
“Oh fuck off, you know I’m too busy for stuff like that.”  
“I just think that everyone deserves a good fuck now and then, no matter how busy they might be. It relaxes the soul.”  
“Just leave already, I have work to do.”  
“Oh, so that’s what the hunk’s name is,” said Malcolm with a smirk. Nico just sighed and brushed past him.   
Ever since junior high, he’d been so busy helping his family, he hadn’t time to think about sports, let alone his sexuality. It’s not that he was reluctant to partake in sexual actions, he just didn’t consider it. His mind had been focused on school, piano, and making sure he and Bianca had a place to stay and food to eat.   
“Excuse me, but I believe I ordered pancakes, and I’ve been waiting for near 40 minutes now.” called a customer.  
Without looking up, Nico responded, “you’re in the wrong shop if you want pancakes. Try two doors down.”   
“Well what kind of a coffee shop doesn’t sell breakfast food!”  
“This kind.”   
The annoyed customer walked out the door with a huff. Castor chuckled at the exchange, and used this distraction as an opportunity to make his move. He walked up to the counter, “haven’t you heard the phrase, ‘the customer is always right?’”  
“Haven’t you heard the phrase, ‘drink your coffee and mind your own business?’”  
“Well the sass is strong with this one. Can I get a tall cup of caramel macchiato with extra whip cream and your number on the side?” Castor winked.  
“We are fresh out of numbers, how do you feel about our daily special, oatmeal raisin cookies?” Nico monotonously replied.   
“No thanks, but maybe tomorrow you’ll have a fresh supply.” Just then the song “I’m Sexy and I Know It” started to play. “Sorry, I have to take this,” Castor said as he dug his phone out of his pocket and placed a random bill on the counter, “see you around, sassy pants.” Castor grabbed the hot cup of coffee off the counter and then continued to walk out of the shop.   
Nico’s jaw dropped as he saw the bill sitting on the counter, Ulysses S. Grant stared back up at him. The coffee was three dollars max, and cheap on top of that. Anyone who could afford to drop a fifty on a shitty coffee was definitely not a normal customer. Now that he thought about it, the people that tended to attend this shop were not ones that could freely drop money. It was weird to see someone from the outside come in here voluntarily.   
Nico put his elbows on the counter and stared at the mediocre band playing on stage. Most found The Daily Grind to be cramped, stuffy, and loud. There was definitely something suspicious about the tall blonde being here. Sure, he was easy on the eyes, more than easy something closer to eye candy, but that didn’t shake the weird feeling that Nico got when he was looking at him. Maybe he was over reacting. It wasn’t that odd to see someone that attractive and rich in a coffee shop.   
Wait.  
Fuck. Since when had he started to think people were eye candy.   
\------  
Well that had been more challenging than what he had expected. Usually his good looks and smooth talk were able to make some sort of a dent on a person. But this boy just responded like it was something he dealt with on a daily basis. The raven haired boy was so natural and witty that it bothered Castor. No one was able to resist him, no one. Jake was right, this would be the challenge he was looking for. It would make him take his mind off of his father and the constant nagging about being a better student.   
Most of the time he did things just to spite his family, like the one time he purposely egged the dean of admissions house and was willingly caught, or the fact that he was majoring in Photography without his father’s knowledge. The main reason was because someone else was running his life, and he was sick and tired of it. He couldn’t stand the fact that his father was attempting to force him to major in Business and Economics. It was preparing him to have the most boring job on the planet, no the solar system. How one sat at desk all day and crunched numbers boggled Castor’s mind.   
He changed the lens on his Olympus OM-D E-M1. He climbed the ladder of the abandoned warehouse to get the perfect shot of the New York City skyline. The wind blew through his hair, as he rested his knee on the ledge.   
No matter how much his dad pressed him, how many new ‘moms’ he had to deal with, or which brother was getting arrested this time, he could always come up here and just be free. It was his sanctuary.   
Suddenly “Family Reunion” by Blink 182 pierced through the still air. Castor glanced down to see his phone vibrating on his belt, with “DAD” written across the screen. With a sigh, he answered his phone, “Castor Speaking.”   
“Where are you, you were supposed to meet Kaitlyn and I for lunch at Eleven Madison Park 15 minutes ago!”  
“I thought her name was Alaina?”  
“No, Alaina is the nanny, or something. Kaitlyn will soon be your new mother.”  
Castor scoffed into the phone, “This is my second ‘new mother’ this year, how long will this one last?”  
“Well maybe if you put some sort of effort into getting to know them, you wouldn’t have this issue.”  
“So now this is my fault?” Castor asked scathingly.   
“Get down here. Now.”   
\----  
“Stop throwing your fries at me,” Bianca chuckled.  
“Only if you promise to stop drinking my coke”  
“It’s my coke. Drink your water and be happy”  
“You’re a pain in the ass, you know that.”   
“Shut up and eat your burger before it gets cold.” Shaking his head, Nico bit into his double cheeseburger.   
“Hey hons, can I get you anything else?”  
“No thanks, Cheryl, we’re all set.” Bianca smiled, and took another bite of her burger before getting up and putting her apron on again. “My shifts about to start, squirt, so finish up.”  
“When are you going to realize I’m taller than you now, if anything, I should call you squirt.”  
“Hey I was taller than you for 16 years, no need to change things now.” Bianca said, before going through the doors behind the counter.  
Nico shook his head, and started to pack up his stuff, before heading out to his next class. He walked out the door of the diner, and put his earbuds in. As he raised his hand to his face, he noticed that the silver ring he always wore was gone. “What the hell?” he wondered aloud.   
Nico thought back through the last few days, wondering where he could have lost it. He had it 3 nights ago when he cleaned it, so it must have gone missing sometime between then and now. Before he could go through all the places he’d been to in his mind, something large and incredibly hard knocked into him, sending him to the ground. He looked up to see a guy, around his age, with shaggy blonde hair and bright sea green eyes.  
“Woah, sorry man. I didn’t see--- wait, it’s you.” The blonde said, realization flooding his face.  
“Wait, you’re the pretentious hunk-- I mean guy, from the coffee shop.” Nico blushed as the words slipped out of his mouth.  
“Pretentious, huh, haven’t heard that one before, but at least you remembered me.” The man smiled as he held out his hand towards Nico, “I’m Castor, Castor Bacchus.”   
“Well Castor, you have a weird last name.” Nico responded.  
“Well, your name can’t be much better.” Castor rebutted.   
“As a matter of fact, it’s better than ‘Castor Bacchus”  
“Then what is it?” Castor challenged.  
“Nico di Angelo”  
“You’re kidding, right. You think ‘Nico di Angelo’ is any better than Castor Bacchus? You must be out of your god damned mind.” Castor said.   
“At least I’m not named after a fucking constellation.”  
“At least I’m not a complete klutz. This is the second time this week, can you not take your eyes off the sidewalk?”  
“I was listening to music. It’s not my fault you can’t watch out for other people.”  
“Whatever boy wonder. Just remember that every time the stars are out, my name is engraved in them.”  
“Well, if I see your name, I’ll give you a call.”  
“Really? Well, you’ll need my number then.”  
“I guess I do. But let’s be honest, the chances of seeing the stars in New York are slim to none.”  
“Well we won’t know until it happens. Give me your hand.”  
“Why?”   
Castor rolled his eyes as dug a pen out of his bag. “Hmmm, it’s to draw a dick on your palm,” he replied sarcastically,”I’m trying to give you my number, dipshit.” Castor grabbed Nico’s hand, and pulled it towards him. He carefully wrote out the numbers, and let go.  
“How will I know who’s number this is? You didn’t sign it.” Nico mumbled.  
“Do you really have that many people writing their numbers on your limbs?” Castor replied.   
“Not particularly, but you never know, now do you?” Nico questioned.  
“You know, you’re right. Perhaps I should do a full body check, just to know for sure. Then I really will know, for 100% certainty, where exactly you have people writing on you.” Nico’s face flushed a bright red at his comment.  
“ Well I.. I.. I don’t understand the point of this conversation,” Nico stuttered in a poor attempt to regain his composure.  
“ Sure you don’t. Just remember that the next time you see the stars, you call that number. “  
Castor took in Nico’s flushed face and was admittedly surprised. Some one with looks like that, should have some experience. But judging by his stutters, it would seem that he hadn’t even been hit on outside of the coffee shop before, let alone been in a bed. There was a moment of hesitation when Castor felt the need to smear the numbers on Nico’s hand so he would not be able to read them. A part of him felt guilty for wanting to ruin something so pretty and innocent.  
Nico took this time to readjust his shirt and jacket. As he turned to walk away Castor  
roughly grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t do stupid things while I’m gone, okay?”  
“What the fuck? Why such the mood chang-”  
“Remember no one can force you to do anything,” Castor said. Maybe it was his way of subconsciously telling Nico to run while he still could. As attractive as he found the raven haired boy, he didn’t want to take what innocence he had left.   
“Back off blondey. I can take care of myself just fine, it’s not like I haven’t been doing it for years or anything,” Nico responded, irritated at his concern for him. The suddenness of what the blonde was saying threw him off. What was the point of telling him to watch out for himself? The emotions he saw swirling in the other boy’s green eyes made him uneasy.The glint in his irises moments ago was playful but now there was concern and pain. Having a stranger care about his existence made Nico sick to the core. No one had the right to care about him, not even Bianca.   
“I just want you to-”  
“Listen, I don’t care what you have to say. Let. Go. Of. Me,” Nico said through clenched teeth. He jerked his shoulder back forcing Castor’s grip to break. He shoved past the tall blonde and continued to walk to class.  
He was disgusted that another human being tried to get through his carefully built wall. How the conversation turned playful to cold in a matter of seconds was a mystery to him. Something about the tall blonde got under Nico’s skin, and not in a good way. It made him think back to the days when he lived in that house. Memories like that had been suppressed for years, why they were coming out now scared him. Anyone that could do that to him was definitely a person he needed to shut out.   
\-----  
"Where have you been Castor?"  
"I was out, Paul. No need to be upset"  
"Refer to me as Father, or not at all,” Paul said. “I'm not the one upset. It's Kaitlyn. You forgot about your mother-son bonding date. You can't keep messing things up between you two. Sooner or later you will have to come to fact that she will be your new mother. Until that happens, I will cut off your credit card."  
“No, you won’t. You have to have the good-looking son, rebellious enough to catch the media’s attention, but gentlemen enough to be every little girl’s dream... or boy’s.”  
“Boys? Don’t be ridiculous. Now, make sure to call your mother-”  
“Kaitlyn.”  
“Your mother by the end of the day and apologize for your inconsiderate actions.”  
"Fine, whatever."  
“You need to let go of of your birth mother, it’s been, what? Fifteen years? Things change, learn to accept it.”   
Castor’s jaw tightened. "Eight," he mumbled.   
“Don’t mumble, you know that’s bad for your image, speak up."  
"Eight."  
"I can't understand what you're saying"  
"I said it's only been eight years!” Castor yelled, “Did she really not mean that much to you?"   
"She was my wife. Of course I cared."  
"Well it sure doesn't seem like it. You moved on pretty fast. Kaitlyn is what, the 6th wife since mom,” Castor spat.   
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
"Maybe it's because you can't settle down or the fact that you ignore your actual family."  
"I don't ignore you boys."  
"Sure you don't."  
"Don't you dare use that tone of voice with me. I care and provide for all of you"   
"You provide, but can you even tell me when Pollux's birthday is?"  
"It's... it's next month on the third"  
"It was last tuesday."  
"No. I can say for certain that it’s next month"  
Castor scoffed, "You don't even know when your son's birthday is. “  
“I don’t have time for this. Please, call your mother, and be home by 11.”  
“I’ll do what I please, considering I’m a legal adult.”  
“If you are such an adult then pay for your own college education.”  
“Ahh, but you don’t want to see your most prized child drop out of school, do you? The media would eat that up in a heart beat. I can see it now, BILLIONAIRE'S SON DROPS OUT: was it the drugs or the money? ”  
Paul Bacchus fixed a withering stare towards Castor. Suddenly, “I’m sexy and I know It” started to play from Castor’s pocket. “Excuse me, I have take this,” Castor said in a serious tone, and he confidently strutted out of the room.

_____________

Nico stepped into the alleyway behind The Daily Grind. He looked up, and no. No, it couldn’t be.   
For the first time in years, stars could be seen in the New York City sky.


	3. Cellphones and Bickering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update.... we have been busy writing our little hearts away. I hope you enjoy. Comment and Kudos!   
> Keep being awesome  
> celadongirl

Castor sighed as he dropped back onto his bed. He ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm the mess that was atop his head. Maybe it was because he was stressed out from dealing with his father or the fact that he had to bail his brother out of prison again. It’s not like Pollux was a bad kid, he just made stupid mistakes. Really stupid mistakes. Castor was stupefied, how are you caught in the same place, committing the same crime only a week later?   
After traveling all over town, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to be undisturbed. In order to accomplish this goal Castor had locked his door and was in the process of turning off his cell phone. As soon as the white apple appeared on the screen, he tossed it onto his dresser. He turned his head to look out the window and to his surprise saw twinkling lights in the sky. He rubbed his eyes to double check and make sure that he wasn’t seeing things. There were stars in the night sky. After months of clouds, there were actual stars.  
Castor scrambled to get his phone and turn it back on. While he waited for it to stop glowing white, he rocked back and forth with anticipation. Even though he knew that there wouldn’t be anything there, he couldn’t help but hope that there was a missed call. Finally he was able to unlock his phone. There was a notification flashing on the screen. His eyes lit up as he tapped the green phone icon, only to realize that it was his dad’s last voicemail.   
Feeling a tremendous cloud of disappointment fall upon him, he layed back on the bed. Who would blame him, no one would call a stranger’s number after they had just met. If anything he had scared him off. Part of Castor was relieved with the fact that he wouldn't have contact with the guy. He was just so...so pure and...just special, it gave Castor a feeling of guilt at the thought of corrupting that. Although there was something about, what was his name? Nathen, Noris, Nick, Nico...Nico! That’s right, Nico. Something about Nico made Castor tick.  
It was as if they had some sort of connection even though they had only just met a few days prior.   
He yawned and stretched his arms so that they rested behind his head. Tomorrow he would head out to the abandoned warehouse to clear his head. There was too much going on and he needed a release.  
\---------

Nico's hand shook as they typed out the number on his phones keypad. What was making him call the pretentious boy was a mystery to him. It felt as if he was obligated to call him. Maybe if he got lucky, blondey wouldn't pick up. It was three in the morning, the chances that he was up were slim.   
The longer Nico stood outside the clearer the sky became. There were so many stars out, you could even make out some constellations. It looked as if someone had poked holes in a blanket so that you could see the light on the other side. It was incredible.   
As Cassiopeia and Orion watched over him, he looked at the screen, 516-224-3865. The artificial light seemed to pale in comparison to the shining stars above.   
The green ‘send’ button seemed to taunt him with false promises.   
Flashback  
“Bianca!!! Guess what?! The new mythomagic deck is out, and guess who has an increased attack power?”  
Bianca looked up from where her head was rested on her arms on the table, “Um...uh, Who?”  
“HADES! Only the most bestest and greatest god of all time!” Nico rejoiced, prancing about the kitchen, far too excited to care for anything accept his thrilling game. He didn’t notice her puffy red eyes, or the way her legs seemed to shake as she stood up from the chair.  
“Hey Nico, I need to talk to you for a sec.” Bianca tried to grab Nico’s arm to lead him to the kitchen table, but he only ran faster.  
“Haha, You can’t catch me!”   
“NICO. Stop it! Just...just don’t. Just...just…” Bianca broke down into tears, sinking onto the floor, resting her head between her knees. Her heart breaking sobs echoed throughout the cramped apartment, her tears staining her old t-shirt.  
“Bianca? It’s not that big of a deal, I know you like Artemis, and her attack power is still really good. She has an incredible defense line!” Nico tried to defend her favorite goddess in the game, hopefully to make her feel better.  
“No, no Nico. It’s not that.” Nico looked up to see Bianca’s puffy eyes more sad and serious than he had ever seen. “It’s, uh, Dad. He’s not..He....he’s not coming back.”  
“What? Don’t be ridiculous! No, he said he’d call. He promised. Last week, he told me that he would call. Don’t be silly, Bianca. He’ll call.” Nico tried to defend his father, knowing that he wouldn’t do something like that.  
“No, Nico. You don’t get it. He’s gone. For good. As in, never coming back.” Bianca seemed as though she was trying more to convince herself rather than Nico.  
“No, Bianca, because Dad wouldn’t leave without his safe in the bedroom, and it was still there before school this morning. So of course he’s coming back.”  
Bianca took a deep breath. “Nico, It’s gone.”  
“What? No, No it’s not...it can’t be gone.” Nico ran out of the kitchen to his parent’s bedroom. He went into the closet where the safe always was, except this time, this time it was gone. “No, no, no, no. He probably just moved it.” He mumbled. Nico sprinted over to the bed, checking underneath it to see if it was there. He searched every crevice of the cramped apartment, while Bianca sat with salty tears running down her cheeks in the kitchen.  
After Nico had searched the apartment, he slowly crept back into the kitchen.“Bianca?”  
“Yeah, squirt?” Bianca said sadly and quietly.  
“Where’s mom?” Nico asked, dreading the answer.  
“Oh Nico, uhm,” Bianca struggled with her words. “Well, mom went...to the store...yeah, she went to the store to get something for dinner.”   
Nico saw straight through Bianca’s lie, knowing full well that his mother was at the bar. Apparently this emotional blow was enough to put an end to her being 7 months sober.  
“Right. Right.” Nico mumbled. He sat down next to Bianca and put an arm around her shoulders. “Right.”  
End of Flashback

Nico felt a warm tear roll down his cheek while relieving the painful memories. He thought of his Dad, ‘forgetting’ to call and never making contact with them again, and anger welled up inside him.  
He wiped the tear off his cheek. He would not be the asshole who breaks a promise. Not in this lifetime, and certainly not in the next. Without a moment more of hesitation, Nico hit call.   
\--------  
A faint buzzing sound could be heard from the left. Castor moved his hand out from underneath the blanket in an attempt to silence the annoying noise. As he felt around the bed his hand came to land on his phone. After turning off his alarm he sighed and sat up.  
As much as he wanted to stay in bed, this was his only opportunity to leave the house before anyone else was up. Out of habit he checked the weather.   
There was this one time when he didn't and had to sit out in the warehouse for hours before deeming it safe to go back outside. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. Looking at the screen Castor sighed, of course he had chosen the only day that week when there were severe thunderstorm warnings.  
As he closed the web browser he noticed there was a little notification on the phone icon. His heart sped up as he debated what to do. He wanted to desperately open it to see who it was from but, on the other hand he didn't want to feel disappointed so early in the morning. There was only so much a person could take each day.   
With a sigh, Castor put his phone in his pocket. He would check it later. He rolled out of bed and put on a pair of jeans and a blue sweater. After tugging on his boots, he quietly slipped out the door of what could only be described as his father’s mansion. Today was another day dedicated to his camera.  
\-------------  
Today's classes were boring. Sure, there were some that Nico enjoyed but most of them put him right to sleep. All the material they covered was stuff he had already learned. He did well on almost all of his tests. There were a few here and there that weren't so great, but that was because he had overworked himself causing him to sleep instead of study. Nico had learned that if he took good notes and reviewed them while he was working, he could use his time more efficiently.   
It had taken a lot of patience and practice to get used to having people interrupt you, but after a while you got used to it. At this point he was desperate, he would do anything to make sure he and Bianca thrived. Hell, he even sold his piano to cover rent for a few months, and that was his most prized possession.   
Even though he was the younger sibling, he felt as if it was his responsibility to make sure that Bianca had what she needed. He had hidden the last few bills from her trying to cover the payment himself. He was able to do it, but just barely. It took a large portion from his savings account. He couldn't stand to see her face when she calculated how much money they needed for the week. It stressed her out and that was the last thing Nico wanted. That was one of the reasons he tended to stop by her work during lunch time. It wasn't that he was eager to see his sister serve other people or that it was convenient, it was a way to save money. Most of the time he was able to get a free burger and that allowed more money for dinner and breakfast.   
Speaking of food... he hadn't seen the blonde all night in the shop. Usually he'd stop by for his early morning cup of joe by now. Well if it was even considered early morning, he wasn't sure when the night turned into the day exactly. After making the phone call yesterday Nico's nerves were shot. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous but he was. It was a brash move to call him, but deep down he knew it was the right thing. There was something that drew Nico towards him. The more he thought about it the more confident he was that calling him had been the right choice.   
Although, he was mad at the fact that he hadn't responded yet. Every time before, Nico had seen Castor with his phone close by. So the fact that he hadn't responded yet was annoying him. Maybe he did that with all the people he thought were attractive, give them his number and then never respond.  
Why did he even care so much about one stupid guy. It's not like it mattered in the big picture. As far as Nico could tell, it was going to be him and Bianca for a long time. He was pretty sure that his sister had no interest in other people. But then again he was hardly home, between school and work he had limited time. So anyone she invited over, if she did, was most likely a stranger to Nico.   
A wave of protectiveness hit him. He knew nothing about her social life or school, he needed to make sure she was safe.  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts Nico looked down at the counter. Enough with family stuff, he needed to finish his work so that he could study for the test tomorrow.   
Nico continued sorting through receipts as he heard the bell on the door ding. Quiet footstep could be heard approaching the counter. After a few moments of silence Nico sighed and looked up, "What can I help you with?"   
His eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he saw who was standing in front of him, looking frustratingly amused. After a moment of silence, he quickly attempted to compose his face back into a neutral expression. The only indicator that the previous exchange had occurred was Castor’s smirk and Nico’s cherry red face.   
"Can I get a mocha grande with extra whipped cream?" Castor said, his smug smile still in place.  
Nico hesitated before responding monotonously, "I see you have a sweet tooth."  
"Um, I guess," Castor said, clearly confused. “Could I get both you and the coffee to go?” he said, trying to regain some traction with the conversation.  
"Yes."  
"Wait really?" Castor asked genuinely surprised   
"No, the only thing you are leaving the shop with is the coffee." Nico mockingly smirked, feeling triumphant.  
Castor looked at the smirk that usually graced his own face, "Damn, you got my hopes up there."  
Nico raised an eyebrow, "Coming from the boy who doesn't check his phone."  
"What does my phone have to do with anything," Castor responded confused, again. He felt as if he was missing a major piece of information.  
"Hmm, I don't know. When you figure it out let me know." Nico gave him a hard glare before turning around to prepare Castor’s order.  
Castor was left standing staring dumbly at Nico’s back. What the hell? He slowly turned around and walked to a table near the back by a window. He slid into the seat wondering what the hell Nico was talking about.  
Family reunion started to play from his pocket. Castor hesitantly stared at his phone, did he really want to talk to his father right now? He knew that if he don't pick up there would be some sort of consequence. Letting out a deep breath, he held the phone up to his ear.   
As Nico approached the table where Castor was seated, he noticed how tense the blonde was. After closer inspection, he noted that he was on the phone. A wave of bitterness washed over Nico, so he did have his phone. Trying to push it aside, he seated himself a few tables away. Nico tried to pay attention to the band playing onstage but his eyes kept drifting over to the other table.   
His fingers tapped the edge of the hot coffee he prepared. Should just set it on the table and leave or should he wait. The longer he sat there, the more pieces of the conversation he could overhear. Something about a mom, bonding, and.... boys? The conversation obviously was making the blonde upset. His jaw was tightened and his knuckles were turning white from gripping the table. 

\--------------------------

After what seemed like eternity Castor put down the phone. He crossed his arms and put his head down on the cool wooden table. Maybe he could just spend the rest of his life in this stupid coffee den. It wasn't the best, but the weird music seemed to make him forget about the outside world. On top of that, the one person he could stand to see was here daily.   
His father irritated him so much. Always with the nagging about bonding with new women he found. On top of that, Mr. Bacchus thought it would be a great idea that Castor should finally get a girlfriend. It would be exactly what the media wanted and it would make an impression on clients. Something about connecting with them on a personal level. Well, there were quite a few issues with that plan.   
First off Castor was 99.99% sure he was gay. So getting a girlfriend would be difficult. Not looks wise necessarily, but personality wise. There was something about the opposite sex that just seemed off to him. Sure, they could be an enjoyable companion, but partner wise he just couldn't make it work. The fundamentals of a relationship between a boy a girl made no sense to him. However, a boy and boy seemed as clear as day.   
The problem with that was the fact that his father was one of the biggest homophobes in the United States. So coming out to him was a challenge. There was no possible way to do it without being beaten and then thrown out of the house. As far as his father knew, he just slept around with a bunch of girls. There had been times when it almost slipped out, but something always made him stop before the words could be said.   
Smelling something warm and sweet, Castor lifted his head to see his coffee sitting on the table in front of him while Nico walked back behind the counter. He took a sip of his coffee and thought about what Nico said earlier. “Coming from the boy who doesn’t check his phone.”   
“Fuck!” Castor mumbled, earning a hard glare from a mother with her two sons sitting at the table next to him. Castor ignored the woman and pulled out his phone. He punched in his password, 6426. Had it really been Nico who called him that morning? That would explain the raven haired boy’s attitude with him. He was never this snarky to him.   
Castor clicked the phone icon immediately and saw that the number that called him was unknown. That had to be it. It was definitely Nico who called, but to be sure he was going to ask. He scooted his chair out and walked briskly to the counter. "Was it you who called me earlier today?" He asked Nico.   
"I don't know, was it?" Responded Nico with a condescending voice. "Exactly how many phone calls are you getting from strange numbers a night?"  
"So it was you!"  
"Now, I never said it was me. What if it was a telemarketer?"   
"Highly unlikely, this is a private line so all advertisements get pushed to a different line automatically. Was it you?"   
"No. Maybe. Yes? If I did, I wouldn't tell you."  
"God, you're fucking impossible you know that? I just want to see if you called me. Calm your man boobs."  
"First off, I do not have man boobs. Secondly you're just as impossible. So were even," Nico stated while crossing his arms defensively over his chest.   
"Give me your phone," Castor said in an authoritative voice.   
"What? No way in hell. "  
"Give me your phone," Castor repeated forcefully.  
"No. "  
"Give me the goddamn phone before I decide to throw my coffee on the ground. "  
"Be my guest."  
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way. " Castor took off the lid of his cup and placed it on the counter. How far would he have to go before the other boy cracked. He began to slowly tip the cup over while maintaining eye contact with Nico.   
The hard glare in the boys eyes set him on edge. It was as if he were being tested. Part of the stare he was receiving beckoned him to do it. But the other part was calculating how much damage he could inflict upon the customer without being fired.   
Castor slowly began to tip the cup until a few drops spilled out. He noticed that Nico twitched each time a drop hit the floor. Just as he was about to completely tip it over, a dark shiny object slid across the counter. Castor pocketed the object and then set his coffee cup down. Glancing at the boy, he was met with a hard stare. He was not one who gave in easily. There was a power struggle between the two of them, where neither of them won. He felt a tiny bit guilty for spilling coffee on the floor but it was a leverage point that he was willing to use if it meant winning this battle.   
As he walked over to the napkin dispenser he slipped his hand into his pocket to feel the object. It was definitely an older model phone. It was so chunky compared to his. Grabbing a few napkins he headed back to the spot of the spill and squatted down cleaning up the mess he made. All the while he could feel Nico's eyes piece through his head.   
Finally feeling satisfied that he had done a decent job cleaning up he met the raven haired boy's stare for approval. A curt nod of the head was all he received in response. He stood back up and pulled the phone out of his pocket. He turned it on, and without a moment of hesitation, he clicked ‘Recent Calls’. Looking at the numbers he saw his own blinking at the top. With his theory confirmed, he set the old phone on the counter, without sparing a glance to Nico.  
Castor turned away and walked to the table he deemed his own in the far corner of the room. He pulled out his own phone, entered his password, and went to his own recent calls, and hit redial.

____________

Nico watched Castor walk away with a grimace. What kind of bastard does that, leaves without saying a thing. He picked up his phone, and noticed it was vibrating. He looked over to Castor again, and saw his signature smirk graced upon his face. Nico answered the phone and held it to his ear.  
“What the hell are you doing?”  
“Why, I’m returning your call. It would be rude not to.”  
“You’re an asshole.” With these final words, Nico pressed end on his phone and turned around to get back to work.  
Not 30 seconds later, he felt his phone vibrating in his pocket.   
“What.”  
“You know, it’s rude to hang up on people.”  
“It’s also rude to ignore peoples calls, so I guess we’re even.”  
“I didn’t ignore your call, I returned it. Surely you remember, you were standing there, I was sitting here and-”  
“Yeah, I get it. Thanks for the play by play.”  
“I’m here for you, sweet cheeks.”  
“Don’t call me ‘sweet cheeks’.”  
“Okay, honey bun.”  
“No.”  
“‘No’ what, babe?”  
“I swear to god, I’ll hang up.”  
“Ah come on! What’s up your butt, Sweetums? Actually, it’ll be me in a-”  
“Stop it, leave me alone.”  
“No can do, Pumpkin, but if you agree to classy evening out, I’m might be able to arrange something.”  
“I’m hanging up, and then I’m going home.”  
“Ah come on, Beautiful, don’t be like that. We can work through this!”  
“Goodbye,” and without another word, Nico hung up his phone. As he went to grab his jacket, he felt his phone vibrate again. With a sigh, he answered. “Oh my god, what the fuck do you want now?”  
“What’s your problem?” Bianca said, surprised at her brothers tone.  
Nico looked over to where Castor was grabbing his jacket and bag, and glared. Castor smirked in response, and gave him a mock salute before heading out of the shop.  
“Uh, sorry, nothing, um, what’s up?”   
“Ok. Um, whatever, when are you getting home for dinner?”  
“Um, sorry, yeah, I’m on my way.”  
“Okay, Love yah.”  
“Mmhmm.” Nico hung up his phone, and distractedly walked down the street towards their apartment.   
______________

Castor smirked as he walked home, thinking about the day. He quickly saved Nico’s number into his phone and let out a laugh. Definite progress had been made.


	4. Coffee with a Side of Grapes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait, it has taken us a while to get back on track with writing since school is starting soon. Anyways enjoy the chapter!

A loud vibration could be heard coming from the night stand. Letting out a deep breath Castor reached out and grabbed his phone, hoping that it wasn't his dad with more ‘assignments’ for him to do. He was already expected to be involved in the wedding plans, ‘mother’/son bonding time, and the illustrious task of finding himself a girlfriend.   
Most of the time he could say that school was too overbearing and he didn't have time to maintain a relationship. However, these past few days his father had been more than persistent on the topic. He even went as far as trying to set up a date with the daughter of his best customer. His dad, however, was the least of his concerns. The media was starting to spread the rumor that he was spending a bit too much time with guys.   
Of course, his father jumped to the conclusion that the most horrible thing that could happen to the family did, his star son was gay. That lead to an intense one-sided conversation over the phone that left Castor feeling like a fake to himself. He was tired of lying to his father about this particular topic. It had been years since he came out to himself and he still hadn't been able to say it to a single member of his family.  
Castor needed to take his mind off things. He wasn’t sure how much more he could handle. He couldn’t take pictures at the warehouse because his father took his camera away ‘until further notice.’ So that left him two options, swimming or running. The quickest way out was running. So that’s exactly what he did.  
Slipping on a pair of purple tennis shoes and an old shirt, Castor was out the door in less than 5 minutes, purposely leaving his phone on his bed. He started at a slow pace, just warming up, heading towards Central Park. As he began to pick up speed and he could feel his problems and heavy thoughts sliding away with the warm sweat that had begun to drip from his skin. Castor’s mind was blissfully blank.  
Until, of course, he noticed a pale young man reading on a park bench. He wasn't positive it was Nico, but then again how many people wear a black, long sleeved shirt with skulls on it in 70 degree weather. He knew of only one.   
Wanting to be absolutely sure that it was him, Castor decided to run a few circles in the park around where the boy was located in order to confirm his belief. It seemed as if each time he tried to pass by, the reader would shift his position so it was impossible to tell who it was. By the time he reached his sixth lap he was extremely frustrated. Why was it so difficult to see who this person is?  
"Castor?" A confused, but familiar voice called out.   
"Oh thank the gods! It is you," Castor responded, relieved that he wasn't stalking a stranger. Not that he was stalking Nico.   
"I'm going to assume you were the person that kept running past?"  
"How did you guess?"  
"Hmm, well I think there are only one pair of bright neon orange shorts in the park this morning...Here's some advice, if you ever decide to you're going to creep on someone again, choose a less conspicuous outfit. Neon orange shorts and purple running shoes can be seen from miles away."  
"Hey, it was the first thing I grabbed, okay?" A light blush was beginning to grace Castors face. "Secondly, it's not like I was planning on stalking you."  
"Ha! You admitted it was stalking"  
"Now I never said-"  
"You said the word stalking. Castor Bacchus was stalking an innocent person."  
"I was not!" Castor replied, trying to keep the smirk off his face. "I was...selectively watching from a distance..."  
"So in other words, stalking."  
"Well, you are quite intriguing. Who wouldn't want to stalk you?" Castor replied, doing the one thing he knew best. Flirting.  
"I'm pretty sure there are only about 5 people who know of my existence, and none of them would."  
"Really? I would think that you are well known. If you know what I mean" He then continued to wiggle his eyebrows causing Nico to blush.  
"Well. I- I- I'm not a very social person" Nico stammered, his stoic mask cracking.   
"Sure you aren't, honey. You keep telling yourself that. Exactly how many people have ravished those lip?" Castor asked with wink.   
"What!" Said a very bright red boy.  
"You heard me. How many?"  
"I never- I haven't-.... Wait, why am I telling you this?"  
"Because you want me to know the answer," Castor purred. With that he gently grabbed Nicos chin and forced the other boy to look his way. The poor raven haired boy was beet red and thoroughly confused as to what was going on. Only as his head was being pulled forward did it click that he was about to be kissed.   
Their lips were milliseconds away from touching when Nico jerked his head sharply to the right, causing Castor to miss his target.   
"I don't want it to be this way," Nico mumbled. Shaking Castors hand off, he began to gather his stuff off the park bench.   
"Wait, where are you going?"  
"Somewhere else." Nico responded monotonously, the blank mask on his face again.   
"Look I'm sorry. Please sit down."  
"No."  
"Why not?"  
"Because I don't want to be someone's piece of meat. I actually want to feel like a person, not a game to win. " Castor stood there I'm shock. Is that what Nico thought was going on. That he was being toyed with. A pang of guilt hit Castor in the stomach making a sour taste in his mouth. He needed to fix this, now.  
"Listen Nico-"  
"Just leave me alone okay. I don't know what's going on between us. But I want it to stop," Nico said while turning away. The walls that he had carefully built were having huge holes blown in them every second due to the blonde.   
Castor grabbed Nico's shoulder and forced him to turn around. "Listen for once, god dammit. I'm sorry. This isn’t supposed to be a game between us. To be honest, I don't even know what I'm doing."  
"So explain that," Nico said gesturing to the now empty bench. "Explain to me why that almost happened."  
For the first time, in a long time, Castor couldn't think of what to say. "I- I'm not sure exactly. I just know some part of me find you attractive."  
"Uh huh, suuuree it does. Fuck off and find another toy."  
"Look I wasn't trying to get you mad. I was only doing what was natural for me."  
"Did you ever stop and consider me? What I wanted?" Nico asked accusingly.   
"I just figured-"  
"Well you figured wrong," Nico snapped.   
"What do you want me to do to make it up to you? Beg on my knees for your forgiveness?"  
"That would be a start." With that Castor got down on one knee and grabbed Nico's hand.   
He looked around to make sure the park was empty. He didn't need any reporters finding him kneeling in from if some guy. Clearing his throat, he put on his most apologetic face and began.   
"I am sincerely sorry for my rash actions. Please accept this action as a formal apology. To make it up to you, let me treat you to a cup of coffee." There was a moment of awkward silence between the boys. Castor wasn't quite sure what to do now, so he remained on his knee. Usually, after a display like that, he was instantly forgiven and was able to move on with the rest of the day. That was one of the perks of being a Bacchus. You were formally trained at a young age to have the best etiquette in social situations. Because god forbid you embarrassed Paul.   
After what seemed like eternity Nico finally spoke. "For the moment, that will cut it. But for future reference don't pull that stupid shit on me again." He crossed his arms and continued gathering his stuff.   
Happy that the phrase that came out of the boy’s mouth contained the word future, Castor began to pull out his phone.   
"So, where are going?" Asked Nico.  
Confused Castor glanced at the boy, "what do you mean?"  
"You said you were going to treat me to coffee, and I am not letting a free cup of joe slip through my fingers. God knows I'll need it later today." Chuckling Castor only nodded his head.  
"We can go wherever you want, but I need to grab my wallet from my place first." With that the two boys began walking to the Bacchus residence. They made small talk during the short period of time it took to walk from the park to the house. As they approached the building Castor realized that he was about to invite a stranger, a boy nonetheless, into his father’s home.  
He hadn't had anyone over since seventh grade. His father had thought that close proximity between his son and pubescent boys was not a good combination, and thus banned everyone from coming over. The only exception to this rule was if he brought a girl home, but that hadn't happened for years.   
Bringing a boy that he was interested in up to his room was not a good idea for many reasons. First off, if Paul saw them he didn't even want to know what might happen to Nico. Secondly, being alone with the raven haired boy was probably not the best idea considering what happened at the park. He couldn't even explain his own actions, and it scared him to think just how impulsive he really was. Lastly, his house was, how to put it, richly decorated. Someone always commented about the design and decorations filling the house. The last thing he wanted was for Nico to think he was some rich snob.   
“Why don’t you wait out here, and I’ll go up and grab my stuff. It’ll be quicker, plus I know you’ll distract me in the bedroom if you come up.” Castor winked at Nico, before entering the tall building.

\--------

Nico’s eyes traveled up the luxurious building, that apparently, was Castor’s home. If the ornately carved door frame wasn’t a big enough hint, the door man sending him dirty looks made it clear, people who lived here came from money, and Nico belonged nowhere near it.   
Nico looked over at Castor, just in time to see his suggestive wink. A blush creeped up to Nico’s cheeks as he watched Castor walk away.  
Jesus Christ, how the hell did I get myself into this? Nico had gotten out of class early and went to the nearest place available to start on some homework before he went home. All he wanted to do was read up on the latest studies of the human body after rigor mortum set in so he wouldn’t have to do it later, but then Blondie had to show up and... and play his little game with him. I’m not a fucking toy! Nico kicked a rock off the sidewalk in frustration.   
The worst part was that he enjoyed it. He was elated at the fact that he was almost kissed. What made him turn his head in the end was just him over thinking again. He wanted the kiss to be genuine, not part of some sick game that the blonde played. Nico wasn’t going to be used, and if even a second came that he felt as though he was, he was out.  
He sat down on the bench by the door, he might as well be comfortable while he waited for that smartass. As he sat down, he heard a muffled conversation that was getting progressively louder and louder by the second. He slowly turned his body so he could see into the building, and there stood Castor, looking more intense and angry than Nico had ever seen him. Next to him stood a tall man in a well fitted suit, holding a briefcase. The man stood proudly, but his face was quickly turning red with rage. Nico compared the two men, standing across from each other and noticed many similarities and differences between the two. They both stood tall and strong, neither backing down from the fight. While the older man’s expression had an air of cruelty to it, Castor looked passionate, intense on what he was saying. Both men had an aura of confidence, to the point of arrogance, surrounding them that was impossible to miss. Though their outward appearance was completely different, they both had a strong jawline and conviction that cut like a knife.   
After looking between the two, Nico was sure, he was observing the infamous father to Castor. 

\------

While running upstairs to grab his wallet Castor was running through a list of the best coffee joints. He had told Nico that he could choose where they went, but Castor wanted to treat the boy. Knowing Nico, he would settle for a 99 cent coffee from the local gas station.   
Quickly locating his wallet on his nightstand, he grabbed his keys and attempted to put them in his pocket. Looking down, he realized that his running shorts were probably not the best choice for an outing. He grabbed a pair of jeans lying on his chair and slipped them on. Taking a quick glance in the mirror, he adjusted his hair and was out the door.   
As he was making his way down the staircase, he heard a voice and stopped. His father was in the lobby talking to the receptionist. Should he risk being seen or wait until he was gone.   
Knowing Paul, the conversation would most likely be a long one. His father really enjoyed talking to her. He wouldn't have been surprised if something more was going on between them. Even though his father was engaged, the title didn't hold him back from messing around. That disgusted Castor to no end. How someone was able to sleep around while in a relationship and not feel guilty made his head hurt.   
From the looks of it, both of them were completely engaged in conversation, so Castor took the risk and quietly tiptoed toward the door. As soon as he reached the last step his father turned around.   
"Great timing Castor, I need to speak with you."  
"Can it wait? I'm kinda in a hurry here," Castor responded, annoyed that his plan had been thwarted.   
"I'm sure that whatever it is, can wait. Now follow me to my office."  
"No. I need to leave now," Casor said impatiently.   
"This is more important than anything you have to do."   
"Nothing you do is important. I'm leaving." Castor began to walk away when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.   
"Don't you dare turn your back on me, Castor. If you ever want your precious camera back, you're going to stand here and listen to what I'm saying."   
Castor slowly turned around with a grimace. “What?” he grumbled, his jaw was tight and his teeth were grinding together.  
“Please, stop acting like an insolent child and drop the attitude. No one in the business world would want to deal with someone so immature.”  
"So this is about business?" Castor said, looking down and avoiding eye contact.  
"No, this is about your image. I can't have you looking like a fag in the papers,” his father said in a business-like tone.  
Castor looked up from the spot on his shoes he was staring at, horrified, "Dad!"  
“What?” Paul said, inquiring as to what on earth his son had an unnecessary outburst for.  
“You can’t-”  
“Can’t what? I assure you I can do anything I please.” He said, brushing aside Castor objection.  
"But-"  
"Why are you concerned about this? I can't have a bad spotlight on you. You know what will happen to the company’s reputation. As the future CEO, you need to have the best possible image.” Mr. Bacchus scolded.  
"Being gay isn't a bad thing." Castor said, his voice rising.   
Paul immediately looked up, his hawk like eyes boring into his son’s. "How do you know? Would you like to share something with me?"  
“No, I-” Castor began to explain, but his father cut him off again.  
"Good, I should hope not. Continuing with my earlier point. You being the future CEO of the company means that you need to build your self up in the media, in a respectable light. There is no better way to do this than by your obtainment of a girlfriend."  
"I don't have time for this right now, Paul"   
"Well I didn’t have time for you, but you still came along. We deal with what needs to be done and right now, you need to start searching or I will do it for you." At this point, both men’s voices were gradually getting louder, and the receptionist in the corner looked concerned, but went by unnoticed by both.  
"No," Castor stated.   
"What did you just say to me?" Paul said, his voice booming.  
"I. said. no. I don’t want a girlfriend right now, and I don’t have to ‘obtain’ one, as you so eloquently put it." Castor defied, feeling more powerful than he had in years.  
"If you don't, the media will start getting on you as to why you're still single. I don't need to deal with anymore rumors of you sucking cock. You will get a girlfriend, and you will do it by the end of the week. End of story.”  
"How the hell do you expect me to find a girlfriend in two days?"  
“You’re clever, you’ll figure something out. And remember, your dear camera will remain in my possession until you have reached your goal.  
Castor’s jaw clenched. "Fine," he hissed and he took that as his cue to leave. As he was walking out the door, Paul called out one final thing.   
"Remember, women like men who smile. So wipe the grimace off your face." The response he received was Castor flipping him off as he walked out the door.   
\-------  
Nico saw Castor storming towards the door, and sat back up trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. As he pushed open the entrance, Castor stomped to the side of the building and grabbed a rock to angrily throw across the street. For a moment, he seemed pleased, but anger quickly overtook his features again. As he was rising from picking up another, Nico stepped up to him and spoke, “Uh, how about you stop throwing stones before you hit someone and cause a lawsuit.”   
Castor glared up at Nico, completely pissed off. Nico defiantly held his stare for about 15 seconds, before Castor slowly let the rocks slip through his fingers and drop near his toes. He took a deep breath before muttering, “I have to get out of here.”   
"Well no shit, Sherlock.”   
Castor glanced over at Nico surprised and said with a small smile, “Aren’t you suppose to be nice to me right now, you know, ‘cause i’m all sad and stuff.”  
“Don’t count on it.” Nico said jokingly. Castor looked up at him and was surprised to see that Nico’s eyes were trained on him, concerned and filled with sincerity. Castor took a deep breath, suddenly feeling more than just physically attracted to the boy standing in front of him than ever.   
\------------  
“Come on,” Castor said. “I want to show you something.” Nico remained quiet and just nodded. They walked together in a comfortable silence for several blocks until they reached the train station. Nico gave Castor a questioning glance, wondering where in the hell they were going. Castor smiled, his eyes’ twinkling, “trust me.”   
And Nico realized, he did.  
\-------  
They got onto the train, and sat in the seats against the wall. Castor glanced around, looking for any hidden cameras amongst the people. Public transportation was one of the most popular places to get photographed because you can’t leave until the next stop, so essentially, you’re stuck.   
“Looking for terrorists?” Nico joked, looking over at Castor, whose eyes were darting around rapidly, looking for any movement.  
“Huh,” Castor looked over at Nico who was looking at him curiously. “Oh, no. I mean, you never know who’s around and what they’re doing.” Castor mumbled, referring to the paparazzi. Nico, however, was left even more confused than before.  
"Okay..." Nico nodded his head in mock agreement. What the hell was Blondey even referring to? As soon as they stepped foot on the train Castor had been almost as tense as when he walked out of his house.  
“What are you on about?” Nico said.  
Castor cleared his throat before quietly responding, “Nothing, nothing at all.” He closed his eyes and rested his head on the wall while Nico was left pondering. Sensing that Castor just needed quiet, he too laid his head on the wall, both of them just listening to the creaking sounds of the train making it’s way across the city.  
\---------------

After a while, Nico glanced over at Castor to see him looking through his wallet. Feeling curious, Nico grabbed the wallet out of Castor’s hands and pulled out his driver’s license.   
“Hey!” Castor protested.  
Nico ignored Castor’s objection, and looked over the little card. He read the name and his jaw dropped. Castor Lucas Charles Bacchus. Suddenly, the overwhelming urge to laugh came over Nico. Tears were nearly streaming down his face as Nico tried to talk, laughing in between words. “I just now realized, that you’re….last..name is……...Bacchus!”   
Confused, Castor replied, “Yeah, you already knew that. What of it?”  
At this point, Nico was having trouble breathing and was holding his stomach. “Oh, nothing. …….Nothing at all...Grapes.”  
“Hey, don’t call me that.”  
“I’m sorry, what was that, Grapes?” Nico goaded.  
“I said, don’t call me that!” Castor protest, demanding for his license back.  
“I can’t hear you Grapes, please speak up.” Nico’s face was that of a 5 year old’s at DisneyWorld.   
“Ugh, Dammit Nico, You’re never going to let this go, are you?” Castor groaned.  
“Don’t count on it.” Nico smiled. Releasing one last chuckle, he relaxed into his seat and rested his head on the wall once again. A comfortable silence came over them as Nico relaxed, listening to the bustling sounds of the train.  
While Nico rested, Castor looked down at his bright purple shoes. Purple, hah, how fitting. Who comes up with Grapes? What a god awful nickname. But as he told himself how horrible the title was, he couldn’t help but feel the blush slowly climbing his cheeks. Not that he would ever admit it to himself or anyone else, but he kinda liked the nickname. But only a little.  
A few minutes later, Castor felt something fall onto his left shoulder. Looking down, he saw Nico’s head resting there, his face blissfully blank. The kid had fallen asleep. He glanced around again to check that there weren’t any pesky reporters who could take an image that would surely set his father off. Deeming it all clear, Castor looked back down and watched him as he slept; he looked so much younger. With his face relaxed, he seemed like he could be a regular college kid in New York, just riding the train around without any worries or major stress.   
Castor was just about to shake Nico awake before someone noticed, but he heard something coming out of the boy’s lips. Leaning a little closer so he could hear, he heard him mumble, “Blondey.” Castor jaw dropped in surprise. No way. Leaning down once again, he listened, “Blondey!” It was unmistakable this time, Castor smirked and sat up while thinking about this. A+ blackmail material, he thought, but then again, I think i’ll just keep this to myself. Castor let out a true smile, before relaxing against the seat again, thinking of the boy whose head rested upon his shoulder.  
\-------  
Someone was shaking his shoulder and quite frankly it was pissing him off. “Go away,” Nico mumbled incomprehensibly.   
He heard a chuckle coming from his right, “Come on, Coffee Boy, we’re gonna miss our stop.” Coffee boy? Why did that sound familiar. Whatever, it could wait. Nico was currently having the best nap of his life. Only when he snuggled into something bony did it click.  
Shit.  
He did not fall asleep on Castors shoulder... He didn't. He was just imagining things. When he opened his eyes, he would be lying on his bed, at home, with Bianca yelling at him to get up. Bang Bang. See? That’s her knocking on the door. Nico slowly opened his eyes to see a florescent light shining in his eyes and an old man hitting his walking stick on the seat in front of him. Fuck me.   
Maybe, he could fake being asleep and then Castor would leave him on the train. Not likely. Castor wouldn't be able to get away without having to peel Nico's arms away from him. Goddammit, why was he a cuddler. He felt Castor shaking him again, and wondered the best way to do this. He could slowly sit up, fall off his seat, or-  
Nico’s train of thought came to a halt as he heard Castor speak, “I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice.” Castor stood up quickly, causing Nico to tumble to the floor. When opening his eyes once again, he saw Castor’s smirking face looming over his body. “Rise and shine sleeping beauty!”  
Nico’s face grew beet red and he groaned in embarrassment. “Ugh, can we just, forget that ever happened. Please.”  
Castor’s smile widened, "Not in your lifetime, honey." He reached out his hand, which Nico swatted away in annoyance. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself further.   
As soon as Nico stood up, the train decided to suddenly stop causing Nico to crash into Castors well toned chest. Great, just what he needed, his face slammed into the man boobs of the most attractive person on the train.   
Not that he was complaining. But his face turned a shade a red that shouldn't be humanly possible. "I- I- sorry?" Was all that could come out of his mouth.   
"It's fine coffee boy, It's good that you are finally embracing your sexuality," Castor replied pulling Nico into a hug. "I'm proud. Not many people are open about this kinda stuff."  
"I was never- The train-"  
"Uh-huh, suuuure I believe that," Castor said with a wink. Sighing in resignation Nico just shook his head and pushed his way out of Castors warm arms.   
The train beeped, symbolizing that it was fully stopped. The doors slowly slid open letting the dank subway air enter the small train cart.   
"This is our stop, move your butt before I make it move for you," Castor said, while gently shoving Nico towards the door.   
"What if my butt doesn't want to move?" Nico challenged.  
"Then I guess I'll have to do this." Castor then proceeded to pinch the raven haired boy's posterior, causing him to less than gracefully exit the train.   
"Watch your fingers finger, Grapes. That hurt," Nico huffed, while rubbing the pinched area.   
"Really? Still with the grapes. I was hoping you would have forgotten it..."  
"Like I said before, not likely. Now which way to the elusive spot you are taking me to?"  
Chuckling at just how trustworthy the boy was with him, he grabbed Nico's forearm and began dragging him out out of the subway station.


End file.
